Doctors at Westminster Healthcare help a woman walk effortlessly after 10 years of excruciating pain

Chennai: A 22-year old woman was debilitated by excruciating pain and swelling of the right ankle that persisted for the past 10 years. After she underwent a couple of surgeries at few places that proved futile, Westminster Healthcare, Chennai finally offered her a cure and much needed respite from the pain. At Westminster Healthcare, Chennai she was diagnosed as a rare case of ‘Multifocal Osteoid Osteoma’ which meant that there were several different bone tumors in her right calcaneum (heel bone). Through their path breaking technique of RF ablation of multifocal osteoid osteoma – invented and executed first in the world at Westminster, she can now stand, walk and perform her chores effortlessly.

As nowhere in the world there was a precedent, this case presented a challenge in multiple ways. Multiple tumors in a single bone had to be destroyed while avoiding serious complications such as bone fractures, skin charring or blood vessel damage – and that too in a single sitting. Yet, with an expert team, the procedure proved to be a successful, safe and minimally invasive alternative to surgery for this patient who had already undergone two surgeries without a cure.

Westminster Healthcare was the first place to make the ‘Multifocal’ diagnosis for the patient who had undergone multiple scans at various places for over a decade. This was very important because, if it were treated as unifocal (which was how it was treated before) – there would definitely be recurrence / persistence of pain. Proper and correct imaging prior to the procedure, correct interpretation and diagnosis, planning and constitution of a multi-disciplinary team and high end intervention radiology technique helped Westminster achieve this major feat.

Explaining the diagnosis, Prof.Dr. Navin Gnanasekaran, Head Of Department-Radiology, Westminster Healthcare said, “Multifocal osteoid osteoma of the bone is extremely rare, with only a handful of cases reported in the entire world. At Westminster, we made the right radiological diagnosis which had been missed in her previous scans at various places for over a decade. There were several tumors in her right calcaneum. RF Ablation was done for the most vascular lesions (determined by pre-op multi parametric 3T contrast MRI) using just two small skin holes and no major cuts or surgery. In this 3-hour procedure which was technically difficult and challenging, we had to very carefully ablate the various tumours with the clinical outcome expected being that of pain relief. There were no complications, and after an hour of uneventful recovery – patient was discharged on the same day”.

Prof. Dr. Mayil Vahanan Natarajan, Senior orthopedic surgeon who had referred the patient said “Osteoid osteoma is a benign bone tumour and can occur in any bone. Even a single tumor can cause severe night pain, lack of sleep and affect quality of life. This patient was found to have multiple tumors in a single bone. A first of it’s kind, RF ablation of multiple tumors present in a single bone has been achieved at Westminster Healthcare, Chennai. Almost for ten years, she had intense pain, which affected her mobility and she could not even perform her day to day activities. A cure has finally been achieved for multifocal osteoid osteoma without surgery.”

“I was not the same person as you see now. I have been suffering for the last 10 years. Many a times I almost gave up and felt helpless when I used to get unbearable night pain repeatedly. Today, the procedure has not only changed my life but has also made my parents very happy. Thanks to doctors at Westminster Healthcare for giving me hope and this new life. I am optimistic about my future now. There has been no recurrent pain and for the first time in ten years, I slept peacefully for a continuous ten hours.” said Ms.Iswarya Mohan.

“In a complex procedure that reflects our commitment to technological advancement with path breaking work, Westminster Healthcare took a leap forward by using this innovative technique. Our team of highly accomplished doctors have been doing some pioneering work. We bring together the science of healthcare and the art of hospitality, creating new benchmarks in Indian healthcare. Our goal is to provide the highest quality of patient-centric care to many more patients, right here in India utilizing our inter-disciplinary approach, enormous talent and the multi-skilled resources we have within our team. We look forward to many more remarkable milestones in the future”, said Ms.Sumitha Karthik, Facility Director of Westminster Healthcare.

Westminster’s goal is to deliver superior diagnostics and healthcare services in a world class hospitality and welcoming environment. Not only do our clients heal, but they do so inrelaxed, rejuvenating surroundings. We bring the benefits of preventive healthcare to every section of the society by shifting emphasis from cure to prevention. We strive to become India’s premier healthcare organization by bringing together the finest professionals and the best facilities, and by deploying cutting edge technology.